


Cut

by Unforth



Series: Tumblr Ficlets: Other Fandoms [12]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Civil War, M/M, Soldier Miles, Surgeon Julian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 04:06:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15525690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unforth/pseuds/Unforth
Summary: Ficlet written to the prompt: Bashir civil war AU





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**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ramblingandpie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ramblingandpie/gifts).



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Blood dripped off the dismounted door that served as a table.

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Screams and moans, whimpers and sobs, explosions and gunfire, filled the air.

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Nitre and feces and decay made the air reek.

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Exhaustion blurred Julian’s vision, made his muscles weak, made his grip on the saw tenuous.

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Callouses tore open on his hands, pain - his own as well as that of others - the only constant.

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Another slab of meat that Julian couldn’t bear to think of as a man was lifted onto his operating table.

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Another slab of meat.

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Another slab of meat.

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Another.

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Another.

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Another.

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Ano–

“Julian.”

A hand closed on his shoulder, gentle, so heavy he was driven to his knees. Blinking through vision turned red, he looked up. Miles looked a specter, a ghost, a memory of a world that wasn’t war and guts and surgery and helpless, desperate attempts to do as much as he could for as many soldiers as possible.

“You’ve got to rest.”

Julian looked around the barn-turned-hospital, every inch of ground covered by injured men. He looked back to Miles and saw the same impotent exhaustion reflected on his face.

This was too much.

“I have to–”

“You have to rest,” said Miles firmly.

Nodding, Julian let Miles tug him to his feet and lead him from hell and out toward the sent where the other surgeons rested.

“You’ve done enough.”

“Its never enough,” Julian whispered, “but it’s all I can do.”

“Then it’s enough.”

And Julian believed Miles.

Because he wanted to believe he hadn’t failed.

Because everything else he’d believed in was gone.

And he had to believe in something.


End file.
